Nudge Podcast Episode Summary: "10 Psychological Tactics to Write Better Emails"
Release Date: June 10, 2024
Host: Phil Agnew
Introduction: The Power of a Single Word
In the opening segment of Episode 10, Phil Agnew sets the stage by highlighting the profound impact of subtle changes in email communication. He narrates the inspiring story of Maya Shankar, a PhD cognitive neuroscientist whose minor adjustment in an email subject line led to significant real-world outcomes.
Phil Agnew [00:00]: "She changed one word in one email... the amount of veterans enrolling in the program went up by 9%."
Maya's intervention involved modifying the subject line from "veterans, you are eligible for the benefits program, sign up today" to "veterans, you've earned the benefits program, sign up today." This simple shift from "eligible" to "earned" leveraged the endowment effect, demonstrating how people value what they feel they have a stake in.
1. Behavioral Science in Email Marketing
Phil draws parallels between Maya's success and his decade-long experience with email marketing. With over half a million emails sent to thousands of subscribers, Phil has conducted numerous experiments to refine his email strategies. He emphasizes the importance of behavioral science in shaping effective email campaigns.
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "Tiny tweaks to an email can have incredible results."
2. Scarcity: Driving Immediate Action
The Cookie Jar Experiment
Phil revisits a classic study from 1975, where researchers manipulated the number of cookies visible in a jar to test purchasing behavior.
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "Customers who saw the two cookie jar bought 43% more cookies than those who saw the full jar."
This phenomenon, known as scarcity, capitalizes on our inherent preference for limited resources.
Applying Scarcity to Emails
Phil experimented by sending two versions of an email offering free access to his Science of Marketing course. The control group received a straightforward subject line, while the variant emphasized scarcity:
- Control: "Free access to the science of marketing course"
- Scarcity Variant: "Only today get free access to the science and marketing course. Only one enrol per person."
The scarcity-focused email achieved a 63.8% open rate, compared to the control's 55.4%, and a 16% increase in course sign-ups.
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "Scarcity attracts attention and got my Subscribers to click."
3. Loss Aversion: Preventing Subscriber Attrition
Understanding Loss Aversion
Loss aversion is the principle that the pain of losing is psychologically twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining.
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "Losing a tenner feels a lot worse than finding a tenner feels good."
Re-engaging Dormant Subscribers
Phil targeted inactive subscribers with two email variants:
- Control: "Is there anything I can do to improve?"
- Loss Aversion Variant: "I'm removing you from this newsletter in 24 hours."
The loss aversion email not only doubled the response rate but also quintupled the likelihood of subscribers remaining on the list.
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "It cost me nothing. It only took a few minutes to test and yet it re engaged a bunch of my subscribers."
Additionally, Phil applied this tactic to podcast promotion, observing a 17% increase in open rates and a 9% boost in click rates with subtle loss aversion phrasing.
4. Social Proof: Leveraging Popularity
Government's Behavioral Insights
Phil references a study by the British government's Behavioural Insights team, which enhanced tax payment compliance by adding a social proof statement:
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "Most people in your postcode pay their tax on time."
This simple addition raised the response rate from 67% to 79%, significantly increasing tax revenue.
Implementing Social Proof in Emails
Emulating this success, Phil tested two email subject lines for his podcast:
- Control: "New Nudge: Why Brands Should Flaunt Their Flaws"
- Social Proof Variant: "New Nudge: Why Brands Should Flaunt Their Flaws (100,000 downloads)"
The social proof-enhanced email saw a 27% increase in open rates and doubled the click rate.
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "By highlighting the show's popularity... it encouraged more people to listen."
5. Special Promotion Days: Creating Relevant Context
Danny Zane's Research
Phil cites Danny Zane's studies on special promotion days, such as fictitious celebrations like International Oat Flat White Day. These niche observances can make promotional emails more engaging.
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "The special day gives us a reason to pay attention."
Phil's Experiment with International Podcast Day
During the week of International Podcast Day, Phil sent two email variants:
- Control: "Nudge newsletter plus a special 50% discount on my course."
- Special Day Variant: "Nudge newsletter plus a 50% discount on my course for International Podcast Day."
The special day email resulted in a twice as many clicks and a 9% improvement in open rates.
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "Simply linking my email with a special day drove a notable improvement in engagement."
6. Consistency Principle: Encouraging Commitment
The Beach Radio Study
Phil recounts an experiment by Thomas Moriarty, where beachgoers were more likely to intervene and protect a radio if they had previously agreed to watch it.
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "They got up to stop the thief 19 out of 20 times when Thomas didn't ask, only 4 out of 20 times did the groups try to intervene."
This illustrates the consistency principle, where individuals strive to align their actions with their past commitments.
Applying Consistency to Email Requests
Phil tested two email subject lines requesting reviews:
- Control: "Could you leave a review for Nudge?"
- Consistency Variant: "You've been following Nudge for over 12 months. Could you leave a review?"
The consistency-focused email achieved a 7% higher open rate and doubled the review submissions.
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "Merely telling people that they had been a fan for a while doubled my reviews."
7. Curiosity Gap: Sparking Intrigue
Barack Obama's Strategic Email
Phil references Barack Obama's 2012 campaign where a simple subject line "Hey" generated immense engagement by creating a curiosity gap.
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "The subject line sparked curiosity. It got people wondering."
Phil's Curiosity Gap Experiment
Promoting a podcast episode on Jose Mourinho's leadership tactics, Phil crafted two subject lines:
- Control: "Jose Mourinho, do mind games really work?"
- Curiosity Gap Variant: "Jose Mourinho on Nudge."
Despite Mourinho not being a guest, the curiosity-inducing subject led to a 7% better open rate and a 41% increase in listener clicks.
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "This subject line really worked. The Curiosity Gap version increased listeners by 41%."
Conclusion: Harnessing Behavioral Nudges for Email Success
Throughout the episode, Phil Agnew emphasizes that small, strategic changes inspired by behavioral science can dramatically enhance email effectiveness. The key tactics discussed include:
- Endowment Effect: Making recipients feel ownership.
- Scarcity: Highlighting limited availability.
- Loss Aversion: Emphasizing potential losses to encourage action.
- Social Proof: Demonstrating popularity or widespread behavior.
- Special Promotion Days: Leveraging relevant occasions for engagement.
- Consistency Principle: Reinforcing past commitments.
- Curiosity Gap: Creating intrigue to boost open rates.
Phil encourages listeners to implement these nudges through simple A/B testing, highlighting that many experiments incur minimal costs while offering substantial rewards.
Phil Agnew [00:XX]: "Tiny changes can have the biggest impact."
To further assist his audience, Phil offers a free three-part email course on the science of persuasion, delving deeper into these and additional tactics to optimize email performance and beyond.
Additional Resources
- Episode Promotion: Phil recommends the "Billion Dollar Moves" podcast by Sarah Chen Spellings, praising its insightful interviews with business leaders.
- Show Notes: Listeners can access screenshots of the experiments discussed by visiting the show notes of the episode.
By integrating these psychological principles, Phil Agnew demonstrates how nuanced adjustments can lead to substantial improvements in email engagement and overall marketing success. Whether you're aiming to increase open rates, clicks, or conversions, these evidence-backed strategies offer a roadmap to more effective communication.